Explore every episode of the podcast OT Potential Podcast | Occupational Therapy CEUs
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| #156 Risk Factors for Cognitive Decline with Ganesh Babulal | 16 Oct 2026 | 00:59:58 | |
As we've covered on the podcast, the world is heading toward a dementia crisis. The number of people living with dementia is projected to nearly triple by 2050, and low- and middle-income countries will be hit hardest. But there is real hope for changing that trajectory: prevention. The 2024 Lancet Commission estimates that nearly half of dementia cases could be prevented or delayed by addressing 14 modifiable risk factors, including hearing loss, hypertension, physical inactivity, and social isolation. And our guest's research points to something striking: nearly half of individual differences in Alzheimer's risk may be attributable to environmental influences, and his own study found that walkability, green space, and light pollution were linked to cognitive performance regardless of biomarker status. In this course, we'll talk with Ganesh Babulal, PhD, OTD, MSCI, MOT, OTR/L, FAOTA, about addressing those risk factors, recognizing cognitive decline early, and whether early intervention can slow, or in some cases even reverse, decline. We'll close with a vision for a team approach to care, where public data on environmental risk is synced into the EMR, physicians recognize risk earlier, and a therapy referral helps mitigate that risk before problems arise. See full course details here: See all OT CEU courses here: | |||
| #155 Marketing Your Therapy Practice with Erica Stevens | 09 Oct 2026 | 00:57:31 | |
More than 2.4 billion people around the globe live with a health condition that would benefit from rehabilitation, and more than 1 billion are living with a mental health condition. But how do they find the right therapist among the roughly 2.8 million OTs and PTs out there, not to mention SLPs and mental health professionals? The answer is pretty obvious: marketing. But in our busy clinical lives, we tend to overlook the importance of this business activity. And we certainly don't spend enough time thinking about how it could drive better outcomes. We know that therapeutic alliance is one of the main drivers of therapy outcomes. Yet we rarely think of marketing as the first step in helping a patient find the therapist who is right for them. Luckily, there's some fascinating research out there to help us think about this overlooked therapy activity. And I'm excited to welcome to the podcast Erica Stevens, MOTR/L, CLT, CHC, CYT, owner of Thrive OT. Erica built her practice from square one, selling a niche of therapy that really made her get clear about who it's for and what the benefits are. Financial Disclosure: OT Potential is a Jane App affiliate and receives a commission when listeners purchase Jane App with our Jane App promo code: Potential. Jane App comes up in this course because our speaker uses it to run her practice. Jane App had no role in the content of this course. This relationship is also disclosed in the episode. See full course details here: See all OT CEU courses here: | |||
| #154 OT as Mental Health Providers with Halley Read | 02 Oct 2026 | 00:58:10 | |
For as long as I've been an OT, I've been hearing about occupational therapy's advocacy to be recognized as behavioral health providers. This is frankly a little confusing, since OT has deep roots in mental health care — and many of us became OTs because of the unique way the profession holistically considers mental health and physical health, and how the two intersect in everyday function. Things honestly become even more confusing when you start to dig into what exactly it means to be recognized as a behavioral health provider. What doors does that open to us? What is the current patchwork of states — and what is our desired future? There is no better person to help us speak to these questions than Halley Read. Halley is the lead author on "Occupational Therapy: A Potential Solution to the Behavioral Health Workforce Shortage," published in Psychiatric Services in 2024. Which gets at exactly the right question: why are we limiting the mental health workforce, when mental health workers are so desperately needed? This course is intended for OTs, to help us understand this situation — but also for our fellow members of the healthcare team, to understand what OT can contribute and what policy changes would let us work in our full scope. See full course details here: See all OT CEU courses here: | |||
| #153 Rehab Tech Abandonment with Christopher Gaskins | 25 Sep 2026 | 00:58:37 | |
On one hand, it truly feels like we are on track for health technology to transform healthcare as we know it. This is especially true of consumer-facing health tech. Some of the latest research shows that around 70% of users abandon health tech apps within 100 days. Rehabilitation technology fares better — largely because of the clinician in the loop, who prescribes, fits, and supports the technology toward a defined therapeutic goal. But abandonment is still real: even with a clinician involved, one study showed roughly 10–30% of assistive rehab technology is abandoned,. Rates run higher for some device categories, like pediatric AAC devices that show 33% abandonment. Fortunately, new research is emerging all the time on the factors that drive technology adoption — and, increasingly, structured frameworks to guide our decisions. In today's course, we are excited to welcome Chris Gaskins, PhD, whose dissertation, "Mental Workload during Prosthetic Training" examined how cognitive demand shapes the way clients learn and adopt health tech. We'll hear how he is thinking about this whole landscape — and, most importantly, how he makes decisions with his clients at his outpatient neuro practice. See full course details here: See all OT CEU courses here: | |||
| #152 OT and Aging in Place with Dawn Heiderscheidt | 18 Sep 2026 | 00:58:45 | |
Healthcare has many challenges right now, but so many of them stem back to one looming global reality: By 2050, the number of people on our planet over age 65 is projected to double. It’s almost hard to wrap your head around the financial impact, the caregiving demands, and just how profoundly this shift will alter society. Luckily, the latest systematic research is crystal clear: to truly support aging in place, we need multidomain interventions that target the physical, cognitive, and social dimensions of healthy aging. Even better? We already have a health workforce where multidomain care is our absolute specialty: hello, OT! Unfortunately, we don't yet have widespread, turn-key business models to deliver this type of care at scale. Today, we’re talking with Dawn Heiderscheidt, who is pioneering a career and a business in the aging-in-place arena. We’ll learn how she leverages her specialized OT skill set, makes the financials work, and provides much-needed care to her community. See full course details here: See all OT CEU courses here: | |||
| #151 Caregiver Training Codes with Rachel Wiley | 11 Sep 2026 | 00:57:43 | |
Over 53 million people in the U.S. provide unpaid caregiving services. That's a stunning 1 in 6 people. The complex role of caregiving can entail everything from behavior management, symptom detection, and nutritional guidance to medication administration and transfer skills. As you can imagine, insufficient caregiver training can lead to increased patient risks for safety and injury, worsening symptoms, loss of function, and higher healthcare utilization costs. And for the caregivers themselves—unmet training needs are associated with higher anxiety, depression, burden, and lower self-esteem. Prior to 2024, healthcare workers like OTs and PTs faced significant billing barriers because insurance required the patient to be present and actively participating during training. But in 2024, new Caregiver Training Service codes were introduced that every OT and PT needs to understand. In this course, we'll look at these codes with dementia expert Rachel Wiley. We'll talk about what they entail, with a focus on how they can be implemented in practice. But we will also talk about their current limitations—and future directions for truly meeting the massive needs of caregivers and their patients. See full course details here: See all OT CEU courses here: | |||
| #150 Medicare Advocacy for 2027 with Dana Strauss | 28 Aug 2026 | 01:01:45 | |
The 2027 Physician Fee Schedule signals a continued restructuring of clinician payment-redistributing funds towards primary care and behavioral health while providing signals for what's coming next. OTs and PTs can no longer sit on the sidelines. As straightforward, low-complexity care increasingly moves toward digital pathways and as patients increasingly access care through digital front doors, we must advocate that CMS properly values the high-value cognitive work and in-person, complex clinical reasoning and officially integrates therapy as the missing third pillar of the primary care team. This year's proposed rule is a critical opportunity to provide CMS solutions that can be met by OTs and PTs and advocate for key coding updates: reimbursing existing evaluation codes by complexity level and creating new non-time-based management codes to capture longitudinal care provided by occupational and physical therapists. At OT Potential, we're equipping YOU to raise your voice. In this live webinar and course, we'll spend an hour unpacking the proposed rule, detailing our policy asks, and sharing a simple, plug-and-play comment template so you can submit your own letter to CMS. We'll be led by the incredible Dana Strauss, a doctor of physical therapy and healthcare public policy expert. See full course details here: See all OT CEU courses here: | |||
| #149 Neurodiversity Affirming OT for Adults with Samantha Valasek | 14 Aug 2026 | 00:57:00 | |
The latest clinical practice guideline for occupational therapy for autistic people across the lifespan urges us to shift away from deficit models toward neurodiversity-affirming, strengths-based care. We know from the research that there are barriers at every level to delivering the type of support we aspire to- from rigid service silos to inconsistent legislation. That’s why I’m so excited today to welcome to the podcast someone who is charting a new way forward: Samantha Valasek, OTD, OTR/L Director of OT Services, at Spectrum Psych in LA. Samantha delivers OT services alongside psychotherapy and psychiatry to clients with autism, ADHD, anxiety, & mood concerns. And most importantly: what it looks like—both as individual practitioners and as a collaborative team—to deliver care that supports our clients in ways that are truly meaningful to them. See full course details here: See all OT CEU courses here: | |||
| #148 Musculoskeletal Treatment Pathways with Chad Cook | 31 Jul 2026 | 00:59:00 | |
As we’ve interviewed expert clinicians on the podcast, clear trends have emerged. These clinicians have two things in common:
I’m pretty sure they do this- because this is what they’ve discovered works. But, I’ve never really seen this approach studied or discussed in research…until now. In today’s episode, I can’t wait to dig deeper into this paper—and how our guest Dr. Chad Cook currently understands the factors that make therapy effective. This is an episode that could fundamentally change how you think about each patient encounter. See full course details here: See all OT CEU courses here: | |||
| #147 OT and Vision in Schools with Jaime Spencer | 24 Jul 2026 | 00:56:13 | |
When you look at the intersection of vision and reading in schools, the gaps are impossible to ignore. Consider the data:
To make matters worse, standard school vision screenings frequently miss the functional vision deficits—such as convergence, accommodation, and visual perception issues—that directly impact a student's ability to sustain near-work in the classroom. As occupational therapists, understanding how vision impacts functional tasks like reading, writing, and navigating the classroom is central to our holistic approach. We have the foundational textbooks, the clinical frameworks, and the training to address these challenges. So why isn't the full skillset of OTs being utilized to support functional vision in schools? In this course, we sit down with Jaime Spencer, an OT who has been at the forefront of successfully integrating vision into school-based practice. Together, we explore the systemic barriers she has encountered and the practical solutions she has proven to work—from assessment and direct intervention to teacher education. This course is designed for any school-based professional who knows the current system isn't working well enough, and is ready to explore how OTs can deliver deeper, more impactful support for struggling students. See full course details here: See all OT CEU courses here: | |||
| #146 Prenatal Therapy with Marissa Ruhl | 17 Jul 2026 | 00:59:01 | |
Only in this past year did it come on my radar that some therapy clinics are offering prenatal therapy. While I can personally relate to the desire to have a therapist guide you through such a complex stage of health, I thought that because it isn't offered widely, the evidence base would probably be weak. I couldn't have been more wrong. The evidence for prenatal prevention therapy is robust for improving: Pelvic health. Pelvic floor muscle training during pregnancy reduces urinary incontinence by 28% and cuts the risk of severe perineal tears in half (Zhang et al., 2024). Pregnancy outcomes. Prenatal exercise programs lower the risk of gestational diabetes by 25%, hypertensive disorders by 33%, and cesarean delivery by 14% (Xiang et al., 2026). Mental health. Mind-body interventions like yoga, mindfulness, and cognitive behavioral therapy significantly reduce prenatal anxiety, depression, and stress — while also improving pain management and self-efficacy (Miao et al., 2026). Maternal role and quality of life. OT-specific prenatal interventions improve maternal quality of life, emotional regulation, and coping — with benefits that persist into the postpartum period (Karakus & Akyurek, 2026). Despite this evidence, prenatal therapy remains vastly underutilized. The gap between what the research supports and what is actually available to pregnant individuals represents one of the biggest opportunities in our profession right now. In this course, we'll welcome Marissa Ruhl from Thrive OT, who is paving the way in offering these services and will share what she has learned about helping to build a thriving practice around this massive need. See full course details here: See all OT CEU courses here: | |||
| #145 What is Therapy & How Do We Measure It? with Megan Cornish | 03 Jul 2026 | 00:56:06 | |
The rapid rise of AI chat presenting as therapists has spurred a reaction to differentiate what AI can do versus the work of a licensed therapist. This is causing many people to look more closely at the question: What Is Therapy? In today’s discussion, we’ll both look back at how therapy has been understood historically and look forward to cutting-edge research like “interpersonal neural synchrony,” which is being studied across therapy professions and perhaps paving the way for a unified definition of therapy and its biological mechanisms. Understanding therapy in a neurobiological way will also help us understand why therapy is so often measured by triangulating multiple outcome measures. We are joined in the course by Megan Cornish, LICSW, and we hope it will inspire you to consider the remarkable power of therapeutic relationships (that we are just at the beginning of understanding.) See full course details here: See all OT CEU courses here: | |||
| #144 Therapy and Value-based Care Models with Dana Strauss | 26 Jun 2026 | 01:03:38 | |
It’s hard to overstate how important it is for OTs and PTs to understand the new value-based care models. But, let’s be honest—they are an overwhelming and confusing alphabet soup (TEAM, LEAD, GUIDE, ACO REACH), and that’s just the acronyms. For OTs and PTs, understanding these models will be the difference between being embedded in the healthcare team of the future—where we deliver highly valued care—and falling into obscurity while our patients receive sub-par care. -How to analyze new models I know therapists are so busy on the ground, but we can’t afford to miss this one. See full course details here: | |||
| #143 Home Health Therapy Documentation with Rohit Shetty | 19 Jun 2026 | 00:58:37 | |
We all know that documentation is a heavy burden for therapists. But home health therapists arguably face one of the heaviest loads, with mandated OASIS reporting layered on top of standard clinical documentation — a dual requirement unique to this setting. They also face challenges that clinic-based therapists rarely encounter: coordinating care across disciplines — physicians, nurses, and other therapists — often without shared documentation systems, as well as navigating privacy considerations and internet instability when documenting in patients’ homes. But, as we’ve already discussed around outpatient EHRs, there are changes on the horizon. In this discussion, we’ll zoom in on what’s becoming possible in this complex environment, from clinical decision support to practical automation. We’ll be joined by Rohit Shetty of AutoMynd — Rohit is excellent at explaining exactly what’s possible, while staying grounded in reality. See full course details here: See all OT CEU courses here: Try 2 free OT Potential courses here: | |||
| #142 The Vagus Nerve and Stroke with Sarah Blair | 12 Jun 2026 | 00:57:17 | |
It feels like in every practice area, the importance of the vagus nerve is being talked about. But nowhere is it being researched as much as vagal nerve stimulation post-stroke. And the initial results are promising — as long as it is paired with rehabilitation. The stimulation sets the body up for new motor learning, but then the rehab actually creates the change. In this beginner's course, I'm excited to talk to Sarah Blair, OTR/L from Vivistim about what she has learned about this relatively new intervention and what generalist OTs need to know about this option. See full course details here: See all OT CEU courses here: Try 2 free OT Potential courses here: | |||
| #141 Therapy Credentialing and Billing 101 with Kara Welke | 22 May 2026 | 00:59:43 | |
In talking to therapy start-ups this year, I've heard a common stumbling block: Credentialing. And, honestly, I was shocked when I dug into the space. It feels like the seemingly boring task of getting credentialed with insurance has turned into what honestly feels like a world of sharks. It seems like there are 3 trends at play: This is truly a bureaucratic headache: You do need to buckle up for some super confusing portals to get credentialed. Credentialing services are all too happy to take your money: They take your personal information because of this barrier-but because the process itself is murky, they often over-promise and under-deliver, without clarity into what is happening. Big companies like Grow Therapy want to present this task as too difficult for an average therapist, so you join their platform (where they do the credentialing for you, but own your contract). In today's episode, we want you to feel empowered to understand credentialing and billing with insurance. We'll help you understand this complex system and how you can navigate it. Honestly, every therapist who works in insurance reimbursement should understand this process (because if you don't do it yourself, that means someone is probably doing it on your behalf). Our goal is for you to leave with a checklist of what to do-and the confidence to do it! See full course details here: See all OT CEU courses here: Try 2 free OT Potential courses here: | |||
| #140 Suicide Prevention for OT, PT and SLP with Christine Weible-Cruz | 15 May 2026 | 00:56:09 | |
In the United States, approximately 49,000 people die by suicide each year. And, unfortunately, the rate of suicide has increased substantially since 2000, up about 30%. Suicide remains among the 10 leading causes of death among persons aged 10-64 years and is the second leading cause of death among those aged 10-14 and 25-34. While these trends are multifactorial, they are particularly distressing because evidence-based approaches to screening and intervention are better established than ever. Yet confidence and training in these approaches remain too low — even among behavioral health workers. OTs, PTs, and SLPs are uniquely positioned to recognize warning signs through repeated, relationship-based care, but most receive little formal training in suicide prevention. This course seeks to address that gap. We'll cover the basics of:
We'll anchor our discussion in one of the most comprehensive evidence-based frameworks available: the VA/DoD Clinical Practice Guideline for Assessment and Management of Patients at Risk for Suicide (2024). And we'll be joined by Christine Weible-Cruz, LCSW, to get practical on what these guidelines look like in frontline care. See full course details here: See all OT CEU courses here: Try 2 free OT Potential courses here: | |||
| #139 Healthcare, Therapy, and the Senate with Dan Osborn | 08 May 2026 | 00:55:01 | |
Fixing healthcare is simple: More people need preventative, conservative care earlier. But getting to this fix is a massively complex web of structural policy choices. The reality is that our modern healthcare system often misaligns incentives, rewarding the management of chronic sickness over the investment in wellness. We've seen a shift toward market consolidation, where vertically integrated monopolies-both in insurance and hospital systems-drive up prices while limiting choice. It's this playbook-which includes a lack of site-neutrality, high specialist payments, and insufficient transparency-that has allowed consolidated systems to post record revenues, even as:
As therapy providers, we have watched as our common-sense bills collect dust. Our care is denied, our expenses are skyrocketing, and our reimbursement is stagnant because Medicare budgets are squeezed and commercial rates are failing to close the gap. We're fighting red tape to provide simple telehealth, while "AI Therapist" expands with a fraction of our professional oversight. That's why I wanted to have U.S. Senate Candidate Dan Osborn on the podcast. I wanted to talk about therapy in the Senate. Why aren't we making true progress? How do we move our bills forward? And what does it take to tackle these structural failures See full course details here: See our blog post "SEO for Therapists" here: See all OT CEU courses here: Try 2 free OT Potential courses here: | |||
| #138 SEO for Therapists with Saroosh Khan | 01 May 2026 | 00:58:24 | |
SEO has long been the absolute best way to maintain a consistent therapy client caseload for outpatient therapists. But, for therapists in all settings really, understanding and optimizing your digital real estate is often a secret sauce for career growth. In today's course, we want to help you:
This task has gone from important to urgent with the onslaught of vertical integration happening in therapy in 2026. Platforms like GrowTherapy, Amazon, Headway, and Talkspace want to own your digital real estate and make you reliant on them. We want to teach you how to own your own professional identity-and give yourself professional flexibility whether you temporarily use a service like this or not. Joining us is Saroosh Kahn, CTO of Allia. I met Saroosh over a shared sense of helping keep therapists independent, and I can't wait for him to help us navigate this. See full course details here: See our blog post "SEO for Therapists" here: See all OT CEU courses here: Try 2 free OT Potential courses here: | |||
| #137 OT in Primary Care with Ashley Halle | 24 Apr 2026 | 00:58:55 | |
For years, "Occupational Therapy in Primary Care" has felt like a professional aspiration-a "gold standard" we discussed in classrooms but rarely saw in job postings. Today, that reality is shifting. Following the 2020 statutory mandates in Norway and Sweden that solidified OT as a required primary care service, the global tide is turning. In the United States, we are moving past the era of mere "co-location" toward true interprofessional integration. Driven by the rise of Alternative Payment Models (APMs) and the 2026 Medicare updates to Advanced Primary Care Management, the door is finally opening for OTs to lead in chronic disease management, mental health, and aging-in-place. On today's episode, we sit down with Dr. Ashley Halle, a leading voice in this movement and co-author of the foundational AJOT research on the topic, to discuss how clinicians can finally step out of the "hypothetical" and onto the primary care team. See full course details here: See all OT CEU courses here: Try 2 free OT Potential courses here: | |||
| #136 Osteoarthritis of the Thumb with Preston Lockwood | 17 Apr 2026 | 00:56:03 | |
Thumb osteoarthritis is a common condition in older adults. By age 50, the prevalence is about 8% in men and 25% in women-and it increases with age, with meta-analysis data suggesting that by age 80, approximately 39% of women have radiographic signs of thumb base OA. Conservative treatment is widely acknowledged as first-line care for thumb CMC OA, including occupational and physical therapy, particularly to help initiate splinting and exercise programs. With conservative treatment roughly 4 out of 5 cases can be managed successfully without surgery. Given the relatively high prevalence and importance of conservative intervention, it is critical that even generalist OTs be aware of its presentation and the basics of assessment and treatment. This course intends to do just that: equip the generalist therapist to watch for, assess, and treat thumb OA-and perhaps most importantly, know when to refer on. We'll be joined by hand therapist Preston Lockwood. See full course details here: See all OT CEU courses here: Try 2 free OT Potential courses here: | |||
| #135 The Ethics of AI as Therapists with Megan Cornish | 10 Apr 2026 | 00:57:06 | |
The landscape of healthcare has been changed forever with the introduction of AI. Already, 1 in 3 adults are turning to chatbots to ask health related questions. For younger adults under age 30, the shift is even faster-nearly 30% now use AI specifically for mental health and emotional support. Amid these broad changes is a specific question for us as therapists: What happens when the chatbot starts to play the role of therapist? This service is already being offered by tools - like Abby - "Your AI Therapist." This raises so many questions for us-and at the heart of the questions is a moral and ethical one of turning our trust from individual humans to LLMs. Today, we'll walk through the broad ethical considerations with Megan Cornish is a licensed clinical social worker turned strategist who builds and scales ethical mental health brands. We'll discuss the ethics of this shift-and what our ethical duty is to respond, particularly in our day to day sessions with clients, who are likely beginning to use AI. Not to be dramatic: but this is the conversation of our generation. This course was designed to help you meet your ethics requirements for your CE. See full course details here: See all OT CEU courses here: Try 2 free OT Potential courses here: | |||
| #134 Starting an OT Practice in 2026 with Christopher Gaskins | 03 Apr 2026 | 00:58:19 | |
The landscape of private practice changed forever this year. With Amazon officially adding physical therapy to its marketplace, accessing rehabilitation services is now as easy as ordering a pair of shoes. This shift signifies a massive rise in public awareness of therapy services-but it also brings a new set of challenges for the independent practitioner. How do you compete with a global giant? How do you meet the "one-click" expectations of modern clients? In our 2026 "Starting an OT Practice" course, we dive into the complexities of launching and sustaining a practice in this high-tech, high-convenience era. We'll discuss why easy onboarding is no longer optional, how to leverage the latest AI tools to provide world-class care while run a lean and professional business, and how to position your clinical expertise as a high-value alternative to corporate healthcare. We are joined by Christopher Gaskins PhD, OTR/L, CSRS, who recently made the leap from "side-hustle" to full-time practice owner. Chris shares his raw, first-hand experience of navigating the ups and downs of launching in this current market, offering a roadmap for OTs who are ready to bet on themselves. See full course details here: See all OT CEU courses here: Try 2 free OT Potential courses here: | |||
| #133 Intro to Travel Therapy with Laura Latimer | 27 Mar 2026 | 00:59:02 | |
Travel therapy offers some of the highest compensation in rehab, yet it remains one of the most logistically challenging practice areas. Succeeding on the road requires a distinct mindset shift, balancing clinical flexibility with savvy career management. Whether you are eyeing your first contract or looking to refine your travel strategy, this course walks you through the essential day-to-day considerations of a nomadic career. We will dive into three overarching questions:
You’ll leave this session more confident in navigating the travel market and delivering high-quality care in any setting. Joining us is Laura Latimer, OTR/L, founder of Nomadicare. After discovering a massive pay gap in her own contracts, Laura transitioned from traveler to industry advocate. She is a gifted mentor, and her hard-earned knowledge will leave you feeling empowered to take charge of your career. See full course details here: See all OT CEU courses here: Try 2 free OT Potential courses here: | |||
| #132 Deciding if a Child Needs OT with Alyson Stover | 13 Mar 2026 | 01:00:02 | |
Most parents start their OT journey with a frantic Google search: “Does my child need OT?” Unfortunately, the answers they find are often buried in vague recommendations about “missing milestones.” In this one-hour course, former AOTA President and pediatric practice owner Alyson Stover, MOT, JD, OTR/L, BCP explores how we can move beyond ambiguity. We’ll dive into actionable strategies for improving clarity and access, ensuring that therapists can empower parents and providers to connect children with the right services at the most critical times. See full course details here: See all OT CEU courses here: Try 2 free OT Potential courses here: | |||
| #131 OT and Multiple Sclerosis Treatment with Makeda N. Jackson | 06 Mar 2026 | 01:00:44 | |
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) remains the leading cause of non-traumatic disability in adults aged 18–65. Because of its prevalence and the vital role of therapy in management, it is a clinical area we return to often at OT Potential. We previously explored this topic through the inspiring lens of Dr. Sarah Adam, OTD, OTR/L—a professor and Paralympic medalist living with MS. In this upcoming one-hour course, we continue the conversation by diving into the latest evidence-based research through the lens of an outpatient neurological specialist. Joining us is Makeda N. Jackson, OTD, OTR/L, MSCS, a Multiple Sclerosis Certified Specialist. Dr. Jackson will share her expert perspective on the clinical logistics of MS care, focusing on:
You will walk away with practical, actionable knowledge. Plus, we are assembling a treatment guide for you to reference—synthesizing insights from this and our past conversations on MS—to help you provide the highest level of care. See full course details here: See all OT CEU courses here: Try 2 free OT Potential courses here: | |||
| #130 How OTs and PTs Get Paid with Dana Strauss | 27 Feb 2026 | 01:02:00 | |
Why does therapy often feel undervalued by the systems we serve? To change the future of our professions, we must first understand the forces that shape today’s Medicare and private payer models—and ultimately, your reimbursement. In this session, we sit down with DPT and policy expert Dana Strauss to pull back the curtain on the reimbursement landscape. Together, we’ll explore why the current system prioritizes procedures over longitudinal care and, more importantly, identify the strategic levers we can pull to shift the needle. You’ll leave this course with a clear understanding of three concrete advocacy efforts we can rally around in 2026, and a practical roadmap for making them happen. Join us to turn frustration into informed action and help usher in a new era where the true value of therapy is recognized. Resources: See full course details here: See all OT CEU courses here: Try 2 free OT Potential courses here: | |||
| #129 Therapy Documentation in 2026 with Pedro Teixeira | 20 Feb 2026 | 01:00:52 | |
While the landscape of healthcare is shifting beneath our feet, the most tangible change in daily practice since the arrival of AI has been our documentation. Over the past two years, we have moved beyond the initial excitement of AI scribes and chat interfaces. As we look ahead to Therapy Documentation in 2026, the conversation is shifting from “how do we save time?” to “how can data and analytics help us in real-time?” We are entering an era where documentation is no longer a static record of the past, but a dynamic tool that augments our clinical reasoning and patient care. We are thrilled to welcome to the podcast Pedro Teixeira, MD, PhD. Dr. Teixeira is the co-founder of PredictionHealth (now part of Prompt Health) and a leading expert in using biomedical informatics to bring intelligent automation into the rehab workflow. In this episode, we’ll discuss:
See full course details here: See all OT CEU courses here: Try 2 free OT Potential courses here: | |||
| #128 How to Plan a Great OT Session with Rachel Egan | 13 Feb 2026 | 00:55:01 | |
There is a foundational skillset essential to occupational therapy that often isn't covered in school: The ability to design a 60-minute session that is both clinically transformative and operationally sound. Bridging the gap between high-level evidence-like task-specific practice for stroke recovery-and the realities of billing codes and patient engagement is no small feat. It is this specific ability to structure "best practice" into a seamless, hour-long experience that separates the master clinician from the novice. In this 1 hour course, we sit down with Rachel Egan, OTR/L, CHT, COMT, a master clinician and rehab manager who understands this complexity firsthand. As an operational leader at NovaCare overseeing 13 clinics, Rachel balances the dual demands of high-quality patient care and administrative excellence. You'll leave this course ready to plan great OT sessions of your own. See full course details here: See all OT CEU courses here: Try 2 free OT Potential courses here: | |||
| #127 Intro to NICU OT with Nicole Bazinet | 06 Feb 2026 | 00:55:01 | |
Occupational therapy in the NICU is one of the most specialized and sensitive practice areas in our profession. The transition from traditional clinical settings to the high-stakes, high-tech environment of neonatal care requires a fundamental shift in how we approach both assessment and intervention. Whether you are an OT looking to move into the NICU or a pediatric therapist wanting to better understand the early medical history of the infants on your caseload, this course will walk you through essential neuroprotective strategies that optimize long-term outcomes. You’ll leave more confident in navigating the complexities of neonatal care—from performing specialized assessments to implementing interventions that protect the developing brain. Joining us for this course is neonatal therapist and lactation consultant, Nicole Bazinet, MS, OTR/L, IBCLC, CNT, NTMTC who will share hard-earned advice from her years in this setting. In this course, we will cover:
You will leave this course empowered to support our tiniest patients and their families during this critical window of development.
See all OT CEU courses here: Try 2 free OT Potential courses here: | |||
| #126 Neuro Recovery After Stroke with Henry Hoffman | 30 Jan 2026 | 00:59:05 | |
Are you fully using the critical window of opportunity after stroke to support neuro-recovery during your OT sessions—or are you unintentionally devoting valuable rehab time to compensation? In today’s episode, we’re joined by Henry Hoffman to explore why prioritizing recovery—when possible—matters, and how occupational therapy professionals can more intentionally drive neuroplastic change after stroke. Together, we break down core principles that support recovery-oriented practice, including:
We also unpack emerging neuroscience from the past few years that supports this approach—and translate it into real-world practice. You’ll hear practical examples of what these principles can look like across education, assessment, and intervention, helping you reflect on how recovery-focused your current stroke practice truly is. Whether you work in inpatient rehab, outpatient neuro, home health, or education, this episode will challenge and refine how you think about recovery, compensation, and the powerful role OT professionals play in post-stroke neuro-rehabilitation. See full course details here: See all OT CEU courses here: Try 2 free OT Potential courses here: | |||
| #125 Intro to Mental Health OT with Michelle Burlyga | 16 Jan 2026 | 00:57:57 | |
Mental health is one of occupational therapy’s smallest practice areas. Because relatively few OTs work in traditional mental health settings, it can feel like an enigma:
At the same time, there may be no better home for occupational therapy’s core values than mental health practice. In this course, Intro to Mental Health OT, we zoom out to ground you in the big picture—while also getting practical about what mental health OT looks like in real clinical contexts. We’ll be joined by a practicing occupational therapist and champion of the profession, Michelle Burlyga, OTR/L. Together, we’ll walk through:
You’ll leave with a clearer mental model of mental health occupational therapy—and a stronger sense of how OT’s distinct focus on occupation can play a powerful role in supporting mental health and recovery. See full course details here: See all OT CEU courses here: Try 2 free OT Potential courses here: | |||
| #124 What is OT in 2026? with Katie Jordan and Angela Macauley | 09 Jan 2026 | 00:59:39 | |
Through OT Potential, we’ve released more than 124 podcast episodes exploring the research, ideas, and conversations shaping occupational therapy. Each year, we pause to step back and ask a foundational question: What is occupational therapy—and how is it evolving? In this special episode to kick off 2026, we expand the conversation beyond research alone to include advocacy, technology, and the forces shaping OT practice and public perception. Joining us for this milestone conversation are two of the profession’s most influential leaders:
Together, we explore:
This episode is an invitation to zoom out, reconnect with OT’s core identity, and consider how we collectively shape the future of the profession. See full course details here: See all OT CEU courses here: Try 2 free OT Potential courses here: | |||
| #123 Selective Eating and Autism with Britt St. John | 19 Dec 2025 | 00:57:40 | |
Research suggests that anywhere from 46% to 84% of autistic children experience selective eating. And the downstream risks are substantial: selective eating is linked with nutritional deficiencies, psychosocial impairment, and increased risk of developmental and psychiatric comorbidities, with severity tied to how persistent and restrictive the eating patterns become. In this OT Potential course, Britt St. John, PhD, MPH, OTR/L, joins us to break down what occupational therapy professionals need to understand—and do—when supporting autistic children with selective eating. We’ll begin with Britt’s story and key terminology (picky eating vs. selective eating vs. feeding disorders), then move into practical, evidence-based guidance for clinicians. Together, we’ll focus on three core areas:
This course is designed for OTs and OTAs looking for clarity in a complex practice area—and for practical tools you can use immediately to support families navigating selective eating. See full course details here: See all OT CEU courses here: Try 2 free OT Potential courses here: | |||
| #122 AI in Education with David Foster and Melissa Kimmerling | 12 Dec 2025 | 00:56:56 | |
AI is going to reshape OT education—rapidly and profoundly. The real question is: How do we harness its strengths for good? How do we protect the parts of learning that are best done without it, while also leveraging AI in areas where our profession has historically struggled? One promising area is scenario-based learning, where AI can create realistic, dynamic situations that help learners practice clinical reasoning in a safe, supportive environment. In today’s one-hour webinar, we’re hosting a round-table conversation featuring:
Together, we’ll explore what’s possible in this new frontier, examine the concerns we must guard against, and—most importantly—answer your live questions about the future of AI in OT education. See full course details here: See all OT CEU courses here: Try 2 free OT Potential courses here: | |||
| #121 Negotiating with Payers with John Hutchinson and Chad Herzog | 05 Dec 2025 | 00:58:59 | |
For many of us, payer negotiations feel distant—something handled “somewhere up the chain,” far removed from the day-to-day work of helping patients. But here’s the truth: nothing shapes our practice more than the reimbursement rates and contracts negotiated on our behalf. Reimbursement determines who we can serve, how much time we can spend with them, what services we can sustainably provide, and ultimately whether our practice can survive/thrive. And while therapists may assume this is a job for billing or leadership, every OT and PT needs a foundational understanding of how payer negotiations work. In this one-hour webinar, we’re joined by two leaders with deep, real-world expertise:
Together, they’ll break down what every clinician should know about payer negotiations, how reimbursement impacts clinical practice, and what therapists can do to advocate for sustainable care models. See full course details here: See all OT CEU courses here: Support the show by using the OTPOTENTIAL Medbridge Code: Learn about Aroris and payer contract negotiation: | |||
| #120 Vision Remediation and OT with Alicia Reiser | 21 Nov 2025 | 00:55:02 | |
We, at OT Potential, keep hearing stories of more and more OTs teaming up with optometrists to provide vision remediation interventions. (Vision remediation focuses on retraining the eye and brain connection. This is in contrast to low vision therapy, which focuses on compensation and adapting the environment to maximize remaining vision.) The need is clear: occupational therapy can provide needed interventions for those with diagnosed visual inefficiencies from such things as acquired brain injury, or even developmentally — but the number of OTs with this training is not keeping pace with the need. But, what does it take to fill this gap? On today’s 1 hour webinar we are lucky to have one OT, Alicia Reiser OTD, who has built a private practice around this need. We’ll learn about the special training she pursued, how she forged relationships with local ODs, and most importantly the difference she is able to make in the lives of her clients. | |||
| #119 OT and PT Collaboration with Rebeca Segraves | 14 Nov 2025 | 00:57:37 | |
OTs and PTs compete in many ways. We can be found competing over:
But, as looming outside forces like AI and decreasing reimbursement rates threaten our professions, it is critical to change our postures toward interprofessional collaboration. And, there is no PT I would rather talk about this with than Rebeca Segraves. Rebeca has hard won insight as she has sought to embed our professions more fully into maternal healthcare. In this one hour webinar, we’ll talk about the latest research on interprofessional collaboration, and what this can look like on the individual, systems and national level. | |||
| #118 AI Chat and Clinical Decision Support with Jen Weaver | 07 Nov 2025 | 00:55:08 | |
One year ago, we released an OT Potential Podcast episode exploring what AI could conceptually mean for clinical decision support. Fast forward to today—and AI chats have become a regular part of the decision-making process for many healthcare providers. In fact, OpenEvidence now reports that 40% of U.S. physicians use their platform daily. At OT Potential, we recently launched our own AI chat and learned a great deal in the process. The world of knowledge translation is changing at an incredible pace. It feels more important than ever to pause and ask: What critical questions should we be asking to harness this technology? What are the strengths of chat-based tools as they currently exist? What are their vulnerabilities? And how can we move forward strategically? We are incredibly lucky to be joined for this one-hour CEU webinar by Jen Weaver, PhD, OTR/L, a leading voice in knowledge translation within occupational therapy. Together, Jen and I will discuss what these rapid changes mean for you and your OT practice. | |||
| #117 OTA Hot Topics with Amy Mahle | 24 Oct 2025 | 00:58:34 | |
Occupational therapy assistants are the bedrock of treatment provision in many OT departments throughout the country. In fact, In large rural SNFs, around 58% of OT staffing minutes are by OTAs. And, in rural and underserved communities, about 48% of all Medicare outpatient therapy services are provided by OTAs. But, not enough continuing education has been geared towards the unique challenges and opportunities within this profession. That’s why I’m so thankful to begin a new annual series on Hot Topics for OTAs, with our first guest, Amy Mahle Ed.D., COTA/L, ROH. Amy and I will discuss the hot topics that are top of mind headed into 2026: from changing reimbursement to the OTA pipeline, to new technologies at the point of care. This course is perfect for both occupational therapy assistants, and occupational therapists who are curious to learn more about our closest colleagues. | |||
| #116 OT and Heart Disease with Sabina Khan | 17 Oct 2025 | 00:55:55 | |
Heart disease is the most common serious chronic condition among adults. In fact per the latest report staggering 1 in 3 US adults received care for a cardiovascular risk factor or condition in 2020. The same report projects that annual inflation-adjusted health care costs attributable to cardiovascular conditions will nearly quadruple from $393 billion in 2020 to $1,490 billion by 2050. Truly astounding numbers. Heart disease is an umbrella term that encompasses coronary artery disease, heart failure, valvular disease, arrhythmias, congenital heart disease, cardiomyopathies, and other structural or functional heart disorders. But, despite this complexity, there is clear guidance from the American Heart Association about what to do to improve and maintain heart health, they call them them Life’s Essential 8: 1. Consume a healthy diet emphasizing vegetables, fruits, nuts, whole grains, lean proteins (including fish), and minimizing trans fats, red and processed meats, refined carbohydrates, and sweetened beverages. 2. Maintain a healthy body weight through caloric restriction and counseling for those with overweight or obesity. 3. Engage in regular physical activity, specifically at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes per week of vigorous-intensity exercise. 4. Avoid tobacco products and exposure to secondhand smoke. 5. Limit alcohol intake to moderate levels, if consumed at all. 6. Manage blood pressure through lifestyle changes and, if needed, medication. 7. Control blood cholesterol with diet, physical activity, and medication when indicated. 8. Prevent and manage diabetes with lifestyle modifications and appropriate pharmacologic therapy when necessary. We know that behavioral counseling for these lifestyle changes can be effective. But, to date, occupational therapy has been underutilized in this critical public health initiative. In today’s course, we’ll talk to one occupational therapist, Sabina Khan, who is using her OT skill-set to help tackle this large scale problem, through new technologies. We’ll discuss why OT has been under-utilized to date, what opportunities exist for OTs to play a larger role, and what new technologies might help us step into this critical role, with our unique expertise. | |||
| #115 Intro to SNF OT with Trent Brown | 10 Oct 2025 | 00:59:17 | |
Hot take: I loved working in a Skilled Nursing Facility. Skilled nursing facilities are one of the highest paid settings for occupational therapy professionals. And about one-fifth of us work in one. But, work in one can have a bad rap. In today’s intro to SNF OT course, we’ll walk through the common challenges, and immense opportunities of working in a SNF. We’ll cover the specific things you need to know, from payment models to common assessments. And, we’ll paint a picture of how you as an OT can really be a driver of culture and care in this unique and important setting. We’ll be joined by Trent Brown, MOT, OTR/L, ATP, CGCP, CFPS, BCG, a practicing occupational therapist, who is also a part of the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) as an assistant office director with a focus on developing and operating quality improvement programs, particularly in SNFs. | |||
| #114 OT, Nitrates, and Cancer Prevention Post with Jesse E. Bell | 26 Sep 2025 | 01:01:28 | |
It’s no secret that I believe occupation therapy is entering its prevention era. We are starting to leverage our skillset not after a terrible health incident has occurred, but at the first sign of trouble. As I imagine this not-too-distant reality, there is one deeply personal area that I am so eager to see us shift our energy toward: Cancer prevention. Across the healthcare community, we are learning more and more about the specific lifestyle and environmental factors that put people at a higher risk for cancer. Case in point: My own county in rural Nebraska, where above-average pediatric cancer rates have been associated with high levels of nitrates in our water. On today’s podcast, we are lucky to be joined by Dr. Jesse E. Bell, one of the world’s leading experts on water and human health and the Claire M. Hubbard Professor of Water, Climate, and Health in the University of Nebraska Medical Center’s Department of Environmental, Agricultural, and Occupational Health. Dr. Bell—who also is the author of the paper we will discuss during this episode—will help us understand where the science stands on the connection between nitrates and multiple health conditions. We’ll talk through ways the medical community can provide education on these risks—as well as the simple solutions OTs could potentially bring to high-risk families to help address this basic ADL safety concern. This episode is meant to highlight the cutting edge of what’s becoming possible—where new large datasets on environmental health risks converge with new opportunities in value-based care to create pathways for OTs to intervene earlier than we ever thought possible. | |||
| #113 AI’s Potential in Child Development with Mati Kochavi | 19 Sep 2025 | 00:59:00 | |
Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming healthcare—and pediatric occupational therapy is no exception. This course aims to spark your imagination about AI’s potential to strengthen how we support child development. From enhancing your assessments with rich data to making interventions more accessible, AI holds promise for both clinicians and families. This course offers insights into how these innovations are beginning to reshape early childhood developmental support. In this OT Potential Podcast episode, we welcome Mati Kochavi, founder of Korro AI, to explore the opportunities and challenges of applying AI to your therapy practice. You’ll learn how AI can complement clinical judgment and data tracking, improve the accuracy of milestone monitoring, and provide real-time support for families. By the end of the course, you’ll have a grounded understanding of AI’s potential in positively supporting child development—and the practical and ethical considerations that therapists must weigh as these tools move into practice. Whether you are cautiously curious or already excited about integrating AI into your pediatric work, this course will equip you with the knowledge you need to engage confidently with these innovations. | |||
| #112 Intro to School OT with Bryden Carlson-Giving | 05 Sep 2025 | 00:57:01 | |
School-based OTs is one of occupational therapy’s most distinct practice areas. The style of practice and the systems you work within, all take a mindset shift. Whether you just landed your first school OT job or are a seasoned professional looking to refine how you manage your days, this course will walk you through essential day to day considerations. You’ll leave more confident about organizing your time, and delivering high-quality care to your students. Joining us will be returning guest, Bryden Giving. Bryden successfully survived the shift from outpatient OT to school based practice, several years ago and we have so much to learn from him. He is also the editor of the forthcoming book Neurodiversity-Affirming Occupational Therapy. | |||
| #111 Medicare Cuts & Opportunities with Dana Strauss | 28 Aug 2025 | 01:02:04 | |
When you adjust for inflation, OT and PT reimbursement is down around 40% since 2002 on our key CPT codes. Now the 2026 Physician Fee Schedule proposed rule has ANOTHER cut to OT written in pencil. We simply cannot sustain continued cuts to the value of our services. So, we clearly need to reconsider our advocacy approach and identify key opportunities to help influence meaningful change.. At OT Potential we are equipping YOU to raise your voice. We are going to spend an hour diving deep into the relevant parts of the new proposed rule, so you can understand the challenges and opportunities. We’ll be led by The incredible Dana Strauss, a doctor of physical therapy and healthcare public policy expert. We’ll share the comment letter that OT Potential has drafted to share with CMS, so you have a template to work from by the deadline on Sept. 12th. | |||
| #110 Legal Considerations for OT (Part 2) with with Alyson Stover and Monika Lukasiewicz | 14 Aug 2025 | 00:55:02 | |
OT reimbursement from traditional models is on the decline, while the need for OT services on the rises Thus, entering into private practice is an important avenue for OTs to consider. But, with this comes all kinds of legal considerations. In the first part of this two part series, we talked about choosing a legal entity, working with your full scope of practice as laid out by your licensure laws, and navigating Medicare covered services. Now in part two, we are getting into more considerations from navigating anti-trust, Stark Law, anti-kickback, to monopolization laws. This is truly information that all OTs need to be savvy about (whether or not you run a business.) We’ll welcome back two returning podcast guests, Monika Lukasiewicz, OTR/L (who is looking to start her practice) and Alyson Stover, MOT, JD, OTR/L, BCP (a pediatric occupational therapist/private practice owner, who also has a degree in health law.) This is live webinar! So we answer listener questions at the end! Please note, we cannot give legal advice during this time—but, we do want to help equip you to understand these basic legal considerations- so you can run (or at least be part of) a sound, profitable business. | |||
| #109 Cancer Rehab for Young Adults with Vanessa Monique Yanez | 31 Jul 2025 | 00:55:01 | |
Unfortunately, rates of cancer have been on the rise for young adults in multiple cancer types—including breast, pancreatic, and gastric cancers. Cancer rehab for these individuals introduces multiple special considerations given their age and life stage. In this one hour webinar, we will use our clinical decision support page to walk through assessment, goal-setting and treatment for adolescents and young adults with cancer. We’ll be hearing from Vanessa Monique Yanez, PhD, MSOT, OTR/L. Vanessa is an occupational therapist specializing in cancer rehabilitation—she is also herself a cancer survivor. | |||
| #108 Legal Considerations for OT with Alyson Stover and Monika Lukasiewicz | 17 Jul 2025 | 01:04:14 | |
While many therapists dream of private practice, the risk of hitting a legal landmine holds many back. In this episode, we are going to zoom in on one OT who is looking to partner with a doctor who is providing concierge dementia services. We’ll use this as a case example to talk through what legal considerations OTs need to make when starting a practice: from choosing the right legal entity, to partnering with a specific provider, to navigating Medicare, to understanding anti-trust and anti-kick back laws. Yes. We are getting in the weeds. But, this is essential. We’ll welcome back two returning podcast guests, Monika Lukasiewicz, OTR/L (who is looking to start her practice) and Alyson Stover, MOT, JD, OTR/L, BCP (a pediatric occupational therapist/private practice owner, who also has a degree in health law.) You can find more details on this course here: | |||
| #107 OT and Purpose with Alix Sleight | 26 Jun 2025 | 01:06:37 | |
Here’s a question I can’t stop thinking about: Is “sense of purpose” the true secret ingredient that makes occupational therapy unique and effective? I ran a survey of my OT peers earlier this year, and I was shocked that 17% of respondents selected “sense of purpose” as the main treatment area they address—second only to “daily activities,” which is what I traditionally think of as our bread and butter. This tells me that, on the ground, a surprising number of therapists see “addressing sense of purpose” as their most effective intervention. The article we are looking at today reveals why sense of purpose may be such a profound lever to pull. (Hint: It is associated with many health benefits!) After we review the article, we are excited to welcome to the podcast one of occupational therapy’s leading thinkers about our role in sense of purpose: Dr. Alix Sleight. Together, we’ll unpack the science behind sense of purpose—and the small and large ways you can address it in your OT sessions.
https://otpotential.com/ceu-podcast-courses/ot-and-purpose Support this show by using the The OT Potential Medbridge promo code (code: OTPSummer) which gives you the BEST discount available. The code will be active June 23-July 9th, 2025. You’ll get the best savings possible of $126 off individual plans and 10% off group plans. Learn more here: | |||